National Blog

Kent Snyder: Founding Father of the rEVOLution

Today marks ten years since the passing of Kent Snyder, one of the finest men I have had the privilege of knowing and a founding father of the liberty rEVOLution.

I got to know Kent when he was the head of the Liberty Committee, the grassroots lobbying group Ron Paul founded and served as chair of from 1997-2007. Kent was also the visionary who convinced Ron to run for President in 2007. Kent saw the potential for a campaign based around the ideas of liberty that could move libertarianism form the fringe of American politics to the center.

Kent was also one of the finest human beings I ever had the privilege of calling a friend. He was unfailing, gracious, generous with his time, devoted to the cause of human liberty, and also very funny. One of the things I miss most about Kent is his sense of humor and how he did not let the pettiness, personality conflicts, and general insanity of D.C. and the campaign trail discourage him or darken his mood. Whenever I would rant to him about some outrage on Capitol Hill or by someone in the movement he would simply shake his head, smile and say “Norman, these people.”

Shortly before his passing, Kent and I discussed a new grassroots mobilization group that would take the momentum from the ‘07 campaign and make our rEVOLution a permanent force. Of course, that organization became Campaign for Liberty. There is not a day that goes by that I do not miss Kent and wish he was still here fighting the good fight with us.